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Stayton budget prepared for council perusal

Stayton Community Center may get its torn vinyl chairs and broken tables replaced. Stayton Police stand to get new patrol car computers. Street work is slated for E. Virginia from First Avenue to Fourth Avenue and Western Avenue, Wilmington Place to Gardner Avenue.

Those are but a few tangible developments as the city of Stayton maps out its budget for the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1.

The City of Stayton’s Budget Committee made short work of things last week, coming up with a 2015-16 fiscal-year budget consensus on May 5, which ultimately led to cancellation of a second meeting scheduled for May 7 and a tentative one on May 11.

City Administrator Keith Campbell said the budget is set to go before Stayton City Council on June 1. Campbell worked with Finance Director Christine Shaffer in developing the proposed budget for review by the committee and council.

“The guiding financial policy used in budget development is to continue to provide existing services for our community while staying within our established revenues,” Campbell noted in his Budget Message report “A goal in this year’s budget was to look for opportunities to increase our long-term efficiencies and take a thoughtful approach to management of replacement schedules and capital outlays.

“When you read a budget it should tell a story, and that story should be a reflection of the values of our community. I hope this budget tells a great story,” Campbell added.

Campbell cited the increase in the city’s beginning general-fund balance -- $800,000, up from $700,000 a year ago -- as an indication of the city’s commitment to financial stability. He also noted that the city’s contingency fund grew from $261,163 to $300,000.

The General Fund is the major fund that provides for the overall guidance and management of the city. Stayton has 22 other funds maintained for specific purposes, such as sewer, water, street maintenance, swimming pool, parks construction, etc.

The city’s proposed total general-fund revenue this fiscal year is $4,110,885, up from $3,989,429 a year ago; overall proposed revenue is $21,493,097, up from $20,573,037.

Total proposed yearly expenditures are $21,493,099, up from $20,573,036 in 2014-15.

In addition to replacing 10-year-old patrol car computers, Stayton Police capital outlay budget includes an e-citation program designed to help issue and process citations more efficiently. Meanwhile the community center, which is well used throughout the year, will see a capital outlay for equipment is at the end of its life cycle.

Other 2015-16 fiscal budget notes:

•Parks: Mowing tasks in Stayton parks will be contracted out rather than handled through seasonal city workers, an approach that is expected to reduce necessary training time.

•Public Works: Director Lance Ludwick has adjusted office workflow and staffing. The city will continue to outsource work to contracted engineers, but will be able to do more technical work in-house which will increase efficiency within the department.

•Stayton Municipal Court moves into its second year of operation, lending budget staff a firmer outline for cost and revenue comparison. Its slice of the 2014-15 general-fund budget was $186,785; 2015-16 proposed is $128,859.

•Library Fund: this is the third year of funding from the local option tax levy approved by the voters in 2012; reimbursement funding from Chemeketa Community Regional Library Services (CCRLS) has increased; the Library Foundation Board has approved another year of funding support at $25,000.

•Sewer Enterprise Fund: capital projects include replacing the problematic Fern Ridge pump station and piping sanitary sewer to the Mill Creek pump station. In addition, the City plans on installing a new odor control device on our biosolids dryer which should significantly reduce odors produced from our plant.

•Facility Development & Maintenance Fund: This year’s projects include replacement of the roofs at the Community Center and pool, while exploring energy-efficient lighting replacement at the police station, city hall, community center, and outdoors at the pool.